Protect Your Website with Our SSL/TLS Certificates

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) was the most widely deployed cryptographic protocol to provide security over internet communications before it was succeeded by TLS (Transport Layer Security) in 1999. In short, TLS is an updated version of SSL and since SSL is more widely used, the term can be used to refer to the more updated TLS.

TLS certificates have iterated upon SSL certificates and improved over time. The final function of SSL certificates and TLS certificates hasn’t changed. In short, TLS (Transport Layer Security) certificate is an updated version of SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate and since SSL is more widely used, the term can be used to refer to the more updated TLS.

Unlike some services that renew automatically until specifically cancelled, SSL Certificates have a set expiry date. Letting an SSL Certificate expire can have a number of consequences for the website owner and also for the end user.

Website Owner:

• Reduction in trust as the site becomes unsecure.
• Decline in sales and revenue with increased shopping basket abandonments.
• Corporate brand and reputation adversely affected putting the business at risk.

Website User:

• Warning error messages displayed by browsers when visiting the site.
• Personal information at risk from man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Individual susceptible to fraud and identity theft.

Many organizations are tempted to use self-signed SSL Certificates instead of those issued and verified by a trusted Certificate Authority mainly because of the price difference. Unlike CA issued certificates, self-signed certificates are free of charge. What most users are not aware of is that self-signed certificates can end up costing them more in the long run.

While self-signed SSL Certificates also encrypt customers' log in and other personal account credentials, they prompt most web servers to display a security alert because the certificate was not verified by a trusted Certificate Authority. Often the alerts advise the visitor to abort browsing the page for security reasons.

Using SSL Certificates issued from a trusted Certificate Authority eliminates scary browser security warnings, protecting brand reputation and customer trust, as well as encouraging safe employee Internet behavior. GlobalSign offers the full range of SSL Certificates to meet the needs of every organization. Visit GlobalSign SSL to learn more.

The common name of the certificate cannot be changed without invalidating the certificate. To change the common name after the certificate has been issued you must generate a new Certificate Signing Request (CSR) specifying the correct common name. For this to be done you will require to purchase a new certificate. Alternatively you may be able to add the required domain as a SAN. For more information please view our SAN instructions.

Due to changes in Apple and Google Root Store Policies, as of September 1, 2020, newly issued SSL/TLS Certificates with a validity period greater than 13 months (397 days) are prohibited by policy and will not be trusted. Therefore, as of August 31, 2020, GlobalSign will stop issuing 2-year publicly trusted SSL/TLS Certificates.

Every website owner needs an SSL certificate in order to rank well in Google. Without an SSL certificate, your website will be marked as “Not Secure” and will be flagged by your browser.

Prices vary based on type and feature; visit our product page for the best price.

SSL provides a secure channel between two machines or devices operating over the internet or an internal network. One common example is when SSL is used to secure communication between a web browser and a web server. This turns a website's address from HTTP to HTTPS, the 'S' standing for 'secure'.

HTTPS is important because it ensures encryption and increase security of data transfer. Essentially, it helps prevent intruders from tampering with the communications between your websites and your users' browsers.